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These 'Star Wars' fans combine dressing up with doing goodDon’t be fooled by the 501st Legion’s sinister appearance. The 'bad guys doing good' donated 182,000 volunteer hours in 2016 and raised $889,000 for charity.
Skirball fire underscores calls for collaborative wildfire managementThe wildfires ripping through Southern California mark a destructive end to a year already considered the state’s worst fire season on record.
King of Waltz or King of Schmaltz? How conductor André Rieu fills stadiums.The Dutch conductor draws huge crowds and has sold more than 40 million albums and DVDs. His fans love the lack of pretentiousness, while classical music purists wince at slapstick antics.
On Tybee Island, a glimpse of why flood insurance is a vexing US challengeCongress faces a Dec. 8 deadline to mend a federal flood insurance program that runs chronic imbalances in an era of rising flood risks and densely populated coastal areas.
First LookDictionary.com announces 2017 word of the year: 'complicit'Dictionary.com's word of the year is picked by the highest number of searches and influence in popular culture, and this year 'complicit' came in first. Searches spiked following the word's use by high profile celebrities and politicians including Jeff Flake and Ivanka Trump.
Cover StoryHeartland strong: Road trip through Middle America reveals resilience, pragmatism, and diversityMore and more, white Middle America is being repeopled with newcomers of color, bringing a workforce to agricultural jobs, a vibrancy to decaying towns, and a mix of welcome – and suspicion – from older residents.
With rents soaring after fires, can Santa Rosa make room for middle class?The Tubbs fire destroyed 3,000 homes, sending rents as high as $13,000 a month. The disaster has pushed officials and advocates to consider rebuilding in a way that accounts for the challenges that faced the region before the fires.
Cover StoryA billionaire wages war on poverty in OklahomaIn Tulsa, Okla., philanthropist George Kaiser is mounting one of the most ambitious efforts in the US to help the poor.
'Thoughts and prayers': For devout, what does it mean to pray after tragedy?After the Sutherland Springs shooting, the online debate shifted to whether praying is 'doing anything.' Here's what religious Americans and scholars say they mean when they talk about prayer.
First LookDa Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' sells for $450 millionChristie's auction house sold the famous painting of Christ for a record-breaking amount. The only privately owned da Vinci, the painting has been roughly handled in the past, including an extensive restoration process, which some critics feel hurts its authenticity.
Behind religious defense of Roy Moore, an aggressive view of masculinityThe accusations against the former judge, and the biblical justifications coming from some quarters, have led to condemnations from many Evangelicals. Yet adult-teen relationships may not be as unusual among a certain subsection of fundamentalists as people think.
First LookBarbie now wears a hijab, inspired by US Olympic fencerMattel announced its first hijab-wearing doll after US Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad won gold in the 2016 Rio Games. Many see Barbie's new accessory as another sign of increasing acceptance of the traditional Islamic garment in Western culture.
On gun violence, blaming mental illness may only deepen stigmaThe documented mental issues of Devin Kelley, who perpetrated Sunday's church shooting in Texas, are the exception rather than the rule. Only 14.8 percent of mass shooters in the US have been diagnosed as psychotic, according to one study.
From Puerto Rico's ruins, an opportunity to build back betterA bold, innovative vision is emerging for how to rebuild after hurricanes Irma and Maria battered the island's shattered infrastructure. But some worry the staggering challenges could overshadow it.
Race and the beauty counter: What a greater selection of hues says about cultureBlack women are increasingly able to influence the cosmetics market through their purchases. And it’s sending a deeper cultural message than just creating a fresh face.
In Texas, a small town reels – and rallies – after church shootingAfter the deadliest mass shooting at a place of worship in US history, residents of Sutherland Springs vowed to move forward and reclaim their beloved way of life.
Oasis on wheels: mobile markets bring fresh produce into food desertsCities are using mobile farmers markets to deliver fresh produce to urban residents who may not have the time or resources to access fruits and vegetables.
Where terror struck, New Yorkers model resilience amid diversitySix of the eight people killed in a terrorist’s rampage Tuesday were foreign visitors to New York City. That’s a symbol of the city’s strengths as a magnet for varied cultures.
Cover StoryLuther’s legacy: How people use the Bible today, 500 years after a monk sparked the Protestant ReformationPerhaps nowhere are Luther’s legacy and the various ways the book is affecting everyday life more evident than in Chattanooga, Tenn., the Appalachian city where public monuments quote Scripture and honor devout churchmen who helped make it the unofficial Bible capital of the world.
For Sandy survivors, a desire to help Texans avoid their mistakesAhead of the five-year anniversary of superstorm Sandy Sunday, New Jersey volunteers were in Texas helping with disaster recovery. One nonprofit leader says, 'New Jersey wants Texas’s recovery to be better than ours.'
